We welcome the news of the announcement from the Home Secretary, offering protection to mosques, but our Black and minoritised VAWG members also report very real fears that their women’s refuges and premises will also be attacked, especially those that are offering refuge to Muslim women. We are planning a series of meetings with and for our members, to see how we can navigate this together.

We are deeply concerned by the subsequent escalation of racist, Islamophobic, anti-migrant, xenophobic, white supremacist, and far-right violence targeting Muslim and minoritised communities across the UK, that has escalated  over the last week.

The Black and minoritised VAWG movement is rooted in activism and protest aimed at securing justice and safety for Black and minoritised women and girls. In achieving this, we achieve a fairer society for all. However, it is crucial to distinguish between legitimate activism and the cruel, calculated violent actions of white supremacist far-right groups. The media's portrayal of these two vastly different forms of action as equivalent is an insult to our history and our mission and is evidence of the level of ignorance about the reality of racism in the UK, despite decades of action and legislation. Describing these acts of mainly white male violence and hatred against communities as ‘protests’ is insulting to our communities, and our long history of working for equality in the UK; it minimises the fascist intentions and also dangerously normalises this behaviour. 

We need the government and the police to explicitly recognise, label, and condemn the planned, targeted racist, white supremacist threat to our communities and all communities and formally acknowledge the involvement of white groups designated as terrorist groups. They need to be responded to as terrorists. Over the last few days we have witnessed far-right extremists setting fire to hotels housing vulnerable migrants, including women and children, and threatening further attacks. We have intelligence about plans to attack immigration centres in the coming days. It is clear that these heinous acts are intended to incite fear and division and they have already lead to deaths of innocent Black and minoritised people.

The targeted attacks on hotels housing people seeking asylum, such as the arson attack on the Holiday Inn in Tamworth, are particularly horrifying. These establishments provide refuge for some of the most vulnerable minoritised women and girls who have already endured significant trauma and stress. Many will be survivors of violence at the hands of men. The terror that these women must have experienced with this attack, is unimaginable. They sought safety and instead faced appalling violence - once again perpetrated by men. Similar attacks in Rotherham further underline the acute danger faced by these vulnerable individuals. Imkaan members are working under huge strains and financial constraints and now they must also work in fear that their refuges may come under attack. Our Muslim sisters are once again fearful of showing outward signs of their faith, and Black and minoritised women and girls are becoming prisoners in their own homes, afraid for the lives of themselves and their families.

These events highlight the impact of successive governments, politicians, and media outlets accommodating far-right, anti-migrant rhetoric - while neglecting to address institutional racism within our public institutions. This acceptance and normalisation of right-wing demands has led to increasingly harsh immigration policies and rising risk to abuse survivors, emboldened white supremacists, and the radicalisation of white children. If left unchallenged, this will lead to increased hatred of our children online, in schools, playgrounds and on our streets.

This rising tide of white male dominated violence and Islamophobia mirrors historical patterns where far-right groups have exploited violence against women and girls to incite and escalate fear and hatred against racially minoritised communities. The fact that the murder of three young girls has been overshadowed and manipulated in such a way, is deeply troubling.  

This behaviour is undeniably racist, Islamophobic, anti-migrant and xenophobic. Such violence instils a deep sense of fear among minoritised women, who are already among the most marginalised and face significant gaps in protection from both the government and society.

Imkaan calls on the UK government to recognise and name the violence we have witnessed over these past few days, for what it is: terrorism. We demand urgent and robust protections for Muslim, migrant, Black and minoritised communities.

It is vital that Parliament be recalled immediately, to address these critical issues and ensure the safety of all vulnerable groups.